Arohi was born and brought up in Mumbai. She is passionate about penning poetry, and writing about things that resonate with her, parenting, and the soul. She currently pursues all forms of creative writing and can always be found enjoying a warm cup of tea.



large_Arohi-Bhimajiani-.jpg

medium_Arohi-Bhimajiani-.jpg

small_Arohi-Bhimajiani-.jpg

thumbnail_Arohi-Bhimajiani-.jpg

Arohi-Bhimajiani-.jpg

Arohi Bhimajiani

AROHI BHIMAJIANI writes about fear – how fears that develop at a young age can stay
 with us far into adulthood; and how her fear of dogs helped her to
 understand what helps us overcome fear.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Fear. It takes a million forms, doesn’t it? Right from that ghost under
 the bed, to standing at the diving board edge; from being spurned in
 love to not being well to do. Fear is our mind playing games with us,
 making assumptions and predictions. Its roots spread deep within us and
 vertically evolve into dread, anxiety, and panic.
 

 
 It’s fascinating how these little seeds of fear are sown, and how they
 shoot up into the skies. Sometimes they mushroom and take on other
 shapes and forms.
 

 
 More often than not, fear can be traced back to childhood incidents. And
 often they involve the fear of losing love, life, money, status,
 standing, etc.
 

 How to let go of such deep-rooted fears?

 
 Letting go of fear is easier as a child, because our patterns haven’t
 yet become rigid. We are still impressionable. I suffered from fear of
 heights as a kid. I was a good swimmer, but every time I stood on the
 diving board and looked down, I saw hissing snakes and jelly legs! In
 that moment, my natural “good swimmer instinct” would vanish. Yet I
 would jump. And with each jump, the intensity of the fear reduced.
 

 
 Fear envelops every rational or instinctive feeling and replaces it with
 panic-stricken darts, most of which are baseless. As an adult, I find it
 so much harder to recognize fear and deal with it. Over the years, the
 layers of panic-stricken darts have only thickened. And yet I try.
 

 
 I was petrified of dogs ever since I was little. I am unable to trace
 the feeling back to anything concrete, but as soon as a dog drew close,
 my mind and body froze. The very thought of its warm wet nose and mouth
 coming close to my feet or heels had me screaming.
 

 
 For many years, I would not visit friends or family who had dogs unless
 they assured me that the dogs were on a leash. Generally, I preferred to
 meet them outside.
 

 
 Once, I was invited to a friend’s house, and as I entered I was greeted
 by a gorgeous ebony-black Doberman. She was taller than me, with bright
 eyes, sharp and alert. I was about to turn around and go, but something
 about her gaze was positively hypnotic. I attempted to hide behind my
 husband, while my uncle, sensing my fright, held back the frightening
 yet majestic one.
 

 
 I kept an eye on her, feeling paralyzed every time she’d enter the room.
 I was so full of fear that I could barely enjoy the conversations and
 the company. But, after some time, I was used to her walking around and
 started liking it. That’s when I got the fright of my life. She walked
 toward me and sat down on my feet. I froze. I was holding my breath to
 the point of fainting. I let it out, one puff at a time, praying that my
 heart would settle. I closed my eyes and began chanting a prayer until
 my breathing calmed down. As my hand untensed and hung loose, it in
 advertently rested on her abdomen.
 

 
 That’s when I felt shock number two. I was blown away by how she felt.
 Alive, breathing, silky soft, yet muscle-hard; it felt like I had
 touched another being for the first time. My hand moved up and down her
 length like a puppet pulled by strings. Her face was turned away from
 me, and yet I knew she was as present and connected with me in that
 moment as any living being in its purest form could be.
 

 
 Slowly the voices and room came into focus. What must have been a couple
 of seconds felt like a lifetime. I sat there for the rest of the
 evening, feeling both alive and at peace, sharing with this living
 being.
 

 
 I have never feared dogs since – regardless of their shape, size, and
 how loudly they bark. I no longer run screaming in the opposite
 direction. Rather I feel drawn to them and, fascinatingly, them to me.
 

 
 It simply took one pure soul to wrench the hardened ball of fear out of
 my gut. And maybe that is what we all need – a pure, unconditional
 loving relationship or shoulder, to help us transform our fears into a
 sense of love and peace. Or maybe to simply extend a caring hand to our
 scared selves, to hug it tightly and whisper sweet nothings until the
 fear is gone.
 

 Love is and will always be the antidote to fear.

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 <h4
 class="has-text-align-center"
 id="h-a-pure-unconditional-loving-relationship-or-shoulder-to-help-us-transform-our-fears-into-a-sense-of-love-and-peace"
 >
 A pure, unconditional loving relationship or shoulder, to help
 us transform our fears into a sense of love and peace.
 </h4>

 <hr />

Letting go of fear

<h4>
 AROHI
 BHIMAJIANI shares her experience of the
 power of prayer, and how it has helped her navigate the difficult periods in her life. She is also
 teaching the practice to her daughter.
</h4>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



Have you ever wondered if our prayers work? Have you ever wondered how they work?



I have witnessed my prayers come to life in the most fascinating ways. And it has simply left me in awe of the
 mechanisms of the universe.



I once experienced a severe falling out with my immediate family. The experience shattered every notion of love and
 unbreakable bonds I held deep within. It had me breaking down numerous times during the day, bringing me to my
 knees, praying tearfully.



I remember going about my days on autopilot with a constant sense of loss, pain, and misery. The world took on a
 permanent gray sheen. My anxiety manifested itself in the form of asthma. As I gasped for breath, I came to the
 conclusion that most physical ailments are rooted in psychological trauma.



There was one thing that kept me alive in those days, that helped me wake up and get through the day: my prayers.



I prayed with every fiber of my being. I prayed with an intensity that must have rocked the heavens. Every word
 crystal clear. I simply begged the universe to set things right. To help me recreate bonds of love stronger than
 before. I prayed with complete surrender and faith.



Slowly and steadily, over time, my relations improved. With equal efforts from all ends, frayed ties were lovingly
 mended. Deeper and firmer connections were established. The world took on its beautiful colors again.



I have attempted the same with my little girl. Every time she is faced with a challenge, or when circumstances look
 woeful, I nudge her to pray. She came to me crying the other day, because some kids were bullying her in school.
 They would mess up her table during the break and not clean up afterward. Complaining to the teacher hadn’t
 helped.



I asked her to pray, to ask the universe for strength to deal with the situation. After she had earnestly done so, I
 guided her to change her tone to being confident instead of complaining, and insist the children clean up.



It helped. The incident never repeated itself. I noticed how praying made her feel like she had gained a superpower
 to deal with an unpleasant situation or person. It transformed her from a meek, complaining child to an
 assertive one.



I have witnessed this miracle occurring innumerable times in the last 30 years of my life. And yet there is so much
 more to the miracle than meets the eye.



I realize that my prayers have manifested when:



<ul>
 <li>I wished with the purest intention, from the deepest recesses of my heart.</li>
 <li>I worked toward making the wish come true even though the odds seemed against me.</li>
 <li>There was no sense of time or shape attached.</li>
 <li>There was complete faith that it would come true.</li>
</ul>



Just praying and sitting back never helped. I had to show the universe that I was utterly serious about my intentions
 – that I worked hard for them, even though it looked like an unsurmountable mountain.



An astonishing discovery was that sometimes these wishes manifested in unexpected forms. Like when heartache leaves
 one desolate and one prays to feel whole again, love walks in with violins and roses from unexpected yet even
 more fulfilling people.



Prayer is one of the most powerful tools to attain stability and confidence. I do it with fervor. I put my entire
 heart into it. And I do it with complete faith that someone is carefully listening to every word I say. It is my
 solace and my happy place. It is a cup of tea, a warm blanket, a tight hug, and a blessing hand, all rolled into
 one. I hope every person out there is bestowed with its benevolence.&nbsp;



May we find the rhythm Of the soul song with the winds. May our prayers reverberate And rise magnificently
 to heaven’s gate.



<hr class="vertical-space1">



<hr>



<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Prayer is one of the most powerful tools to attain stability and
 confidence. I do it with fervor. I put my entire heart into it. And I do it with complete faith
 that someone is carefully listening to every word I say. </h4>



<hr>



<hr class="vertical-space1">

Arohi Bhimajiani

Arohi was born and brought up in Mumbai. She is passionate about penning poetry, and writing about things that resonate with her, parenting, and the soul. She currently pursues all forms of creative writing and can always be found enjoying a warm cup of tea.

Explore